Managing forest values
Sustainable forest management focuses on balancing environmental, social, and economic outcomes.
We are committed to managing Victorian State forests to deliver social and economic benefits to the community whilst maintaining and enhancing environmental values.
VicForests has three core documents outlining key processes in managing forest values:
- VicForests’ forests management plan
- VicForests: Management of High Conservation Values
- VicForests’ harvesting and regeneration systems
VicForests’ forest management plan
Our forest management plan emphasises understanding the inter-relationships of forest ecosystems, actively assessing and reporting the impacts of our activities, and aiming to balance the benefits over the long term. Our role is to deliver social, economic and ecological outcomes, within regulatory and commercial requirements.
It communicates how we will achieve our mission of being a leading timber harvesting and sales business, through demonstrating our commitment to sustainable forest management.
The plan has been developed in collaboration with our stakeholders and it is regularly reviewed and updated to align with current practices.
VicForests: Management of High Conservation Values
Our management of High Conservation Values (HCVs) is key to VicForests’ role and responsibilities within the forests we operate. This document sets out the management framework for HCVs within Victoria’s State forest and how VicForests’ management systems and standard operating procedures assess and manage forest values, including HCVs, within the scope of our operations.
VicForests’ harvesting and regeneration systems
Our approach to forest management has evolved over our history to ensure we are operating with the best advice available to us.
This document outlines our current forest management systems which now have an increased focus on adaptive approaches to selecting and applying harvesting and regeneration systems that retain and protect a broad range of forest values.
Our adaptive measures allow increase flexibility in the application of our operations and provide VicForests with an improved social licence to operate.